the marble relief of a man and horse in flight
could be written into a grand epic
an old villager heard my thoughts and said
it’s best to rethink it
some forgotten battle alone and outnumbered
running in retreat
the steed decided to turn galloping to the fight
running over the heads of their enemy
their heroic escape cut short with an
accidental leap into a boiling vat
the town’s embarrassment the old man said
the only document a proverb
something about never allowing your horse
an opportunity to make decisions
or to never name your son Kenneth
he forgot which
THE CONSOLATION OF MIRTH 